One of the most important natural resources is fresh water, essential for growing crops, for many industries, and of course for drinking and other personal uses; it is also the basis of many leisure activities, from fishing to water sports. In many parts of the world demand now rivals the natural supply of water, leading to a need for better understanding of aquifers, as well as for building dams and for more recycling. A separate problem is pollution, which has many causes, ranging from influx of saline water due to excessive extraction of fresh water, to contamination by sewage, agricultural and industrial chemicals, or leachate from landfill sites. Hydrogeology is concerned with these problems, and geophysics is an increasingly valuable aid.
Introduction
The most obvious water source is surface water in rivers and lakes, but these derive much of their supply from groundwater, while much water is extracted directly from the ground by boreholes (over half the population of the United States gets its water this way). Therefore, hydrogeology is mainly concerned with the hidden resource of groundwater. The goals of hydrogeology are (i) locating new groundwater resources, (ii) developing schemes for the best utilization of known sources, (iii) proposing measures for protection against contamination and overextraction, and (iv) monitoring potential or known sources of contamination.
Aquifers
Groundwater moves through aquifers, which are often subhorizontal layers of permeable rock such as porous sands and sandstones, but including crystalline rocks with interconnected fractures and fissures.
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